Sudan’s Minawi in Eritrea for talks on Darfur peace process

December 26, 2008 (ASMARA) – The Sudanese Presidential Senior Assistant, Minni Minawi arrived yesterday to Asmara for talks with President Isaias Afwerki and to meet rebels groups over Darfur peace process.

Eritrea, which harboured in the past the Sudanese opposition including Darfur rebel movements, still host some rebel groups despite the normalization of relations with the government and the good ties it has with Khartoum.

Asmara believes it can play a role in the on going efforts to bring peace in Darfur. In the past under the previous AU-UN mediation it was part in a regional forum “Regional Partners of the Darfur Peace Process” which includes Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, and Libya. However the new Qatari mediation aims at minimizing the role played by the neighboring countries.

During a meeting held with the visiting Sudanese official on Thursday, President Afeworki stressed that “Sudanese issue should basically be resolved through the Sudanese themselves.” He also underlined the need to normalize relations with Chad saying the tension with western neighbour had negatively impacted Darfur conflict.

The Eritrean President was in the Chadian capital Ndjamena on December 10, where he held talks with his counterpart Idriss Deby on Darfur crisis.

Minawi “expressed strong conviction that Eritrea and other neighboring countries would make positive contribution towards supporting” the resolution of Darfur conflict, reported the official Eritrean Shabait.

The former rebel leader turned Senior Presidential Assistant after the signing of Darfur Peace Agreement has suffered different dissidences and defections since May 2006. Also he has huge difficulties with Khartoum on the ill-implementation of the DPA.

However, the former rebel said his visit to Asmara comes in the framework of efforts he undertakes to persuade Darfur rebel groups opposed to Abuja deal to take part in the Qatari hosted peace talks.

In statement made before Minawi’s departure to Asmara, Mustafa Jamil, the SLM-MM spokesperson said the Presidential Senior Assistant would conduct contacts with the non-signatories to join peace process without elaborating on the identity of these rebels.

Eritrea still hosts rebels belonging to the JEM of Khalil Ibrahim and SLM of Abdel Whaid Al-Nur. But the leaderships of the two movements have made public their positions from the Qatari initiative and hold direct contacts with the mediators.

(ST)